TE KUITI, ON THE MAIN TRUNK LINE

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 34, 10 February 1922, Page 9

TE KUITI, ON THE MAIN TRUNK LINE

INVITING ENTERPRISE

TE KUITi AND SURROUNDING DISTRICT.

UN-BOOMEP, BUT PROSPEROUS.

RICH MINERAL DEPOSITS.

LOW-PRICED AGRICULTURAL AND DAIRYING LAND

"'lt is better never to have boomed than to have boomed and bust!" says a leading Te Kuiti business man. "The I'pper King Country, unlike most districts during the war period, has never boomed, and that is why this district now offers to the man in search of land or business investments far greater attractions than any other part of the Xorth Island, and probably of the whole Dominion," he adds.

Thv> northern portion of the King Country comprises the Waitomo county, embracing an area of 1023 square miles, wherein is situated the worldfamous Waitomo Caves. Beyond those who have actually visited these wonderful works of Nature, comparatively few people know that the natural gate to the raves is Te Kuiti—eight miles away. This is largely necountM for by the fact that the Tourist and Railway Departments, after the inscrutable manner of State offices, alwaye refer in their pamphlet to Hangitiki as the station to which tourists should hook, with the inevitable result that the stranger frequently finds himself landed in the middle of a rural district, with only an already-filled Government hoste.l from which to seek accommodation. It is only then that he discovers hi? better course would have been to book to Te Kuiti. where four first class private hotels ensure for him comfortable accommodation, while a live, and up-to-date business town is re.ady to supply his every want. From Te Kuiti he may then proceed by motor ear or motor bus to the caves, seeing a great deal of beautiful and interesting scenery en route.

For its size there is no more enterprising and well-ordered town ia the Dominion than Tβ Kuiti. The municipal appointments would do credit to a town of double the population, which now stands at 1082. With an excellent electric power plant, water supply, sewerage, a well-equipped fire brigadp, and a beautifully kept main street, Te Kuiti can hold its own with any country town, while it also boasts four banks, a branch of the Public Trust Office, two picture theatres, which give five changes of programme weekly, three doctors, eight solicitors, a local .newspaper, four churches, one of the largest country public Bchools in New Zealand, a town band, a great many outdoor sport's clubs, a continuous telephone service, and a very extensive representation of every modern line of private business enterprise. A hospital site has recently been acquired, and in the near future a hospital building costing £15,000 will be erected. Te Kuiti is a solid inland town to which business men might with advantage to themselves direct their attention, while the surrounding district affords an exceptionally attractive field for the settler.

LAND PRICES NORMAL. PHENOMENAL PROGRESS OF DISTRICT. NATURE'S STOREHOUSE. Although the King Country has never "euffered from a boom," to quote a member of the Te Kuiti Chamber of Commerce, the phenonemal growth, during the pact ten or twelve years, of Te Kuiti its chief town, reveals tne steady progress which has taken place throughout the district. Climate, soil fertility, water supply and accessibility are probably the four most important factors in the growth of any district and in alt {our of these respects Te ICiiiti and surrounding district has been generously treated. Besides the remarkable fertility of the land where it has been properly handled, this country abounds in rich mineral depoeite, which are as yet practically unexploited. It may, in fact, be apily described as one of nature s storehouses. Several excellent sources of hydro-electric power of UDueual adaptability exist throughout the district, ensuring for it an assured future from an industrial aspect RICH COAL DEPOSITS. In many parts, notably to the ewt of Te Kuiti and at Aria, some 23 mile 3 to the south-west, the country abounds in coal deposits of a high quality. Outcrops are visible in scores of places. A new coal mine has been recently opened on the Kangitoto Road by a private enterprise, and samples of coal sent for analysis have been pronounced equal to anything in the Island, although

the samples ■were obtained practically from the outcrop. The greatest difficulty this enterprise is at present faced with is that of transport, but in the matter of a few years the coal industry Tjctll be a, Tery important one in the district-

Also, the lime deposit* are a great natural asset to thp district, and at the present time there are three plants in operation, employing a. total sta/T of souk 200 men. These plants, which., of course, contribute substantially to T.he general industrial activity of the district, produce lime in various forms for agricultural purposes, and also crushed

metal for roading purposes. Their respective outputs are annually increasing. Aβ vith all other industries in aiid around Te Kuiti, these plants are worked by" electric power supplied by the borough. GRAZING AND AGRICtrLTURE. The country is of rich limestone and papa formation, hiphly suitable for grazing of all kinds and for agriculture. For the growing of lucerne it is especially suited, as evidenced by the statement of the manager of the Ruakura State Farm to the. effect that a lucerne crop recently grown near Te Kuiti by Mr. 1 O'Brien was the. best he "had ever seen. At, the last Waikato Winter Show lucerne grown around Te Kuiti 6*cured first place both for quality and strength of growth. Te Kuiti exhibitors were also equally successful in the matte r of root crops, securing four firsts for 12 heaviest swedes and first for quality, heating everything in the show. POTENTIALITIES UNKNOWN. A remarkablf feature of the King Country at the present day is the fact that it* potentialities are so little known and generally it appears to be regarded, in conjunction with the Crewera, as the last stronghold of the Maori*. Even the name "King Country" eeems to still conjure upon the mind of the average outsider a remote and inaccessible land, peopled mostly, if not entirely, with 1 he remnants of a romantic race. Occasionally the report of a sly-grog case attracts a passing but unenviable attention. What the district needs chiefly a I the present time is closer settlement and all that is necessary to achieve this is to allow the true f;ict.= to become widely known. The district in r'.ceJit years progressed so rapidly that very feu- outside it are aware of the frreat attractions it now presents to business investor, farmer, or worker. The old order of thinps hns lone since vanished. Illicit traffic in liquor has bcon almost romiplejely stamped out and iperria-ps nowhere in the Dominion at the prosont day could be found 3 more orderly town than Te Kuiti, where the appear-, ance of a person exhibiting signs of intoxication ie now so rare aj= to create considerable interest. ' NO CHEATER I,A\D AXYWHEKE. ' It is quite, safe to say that, all things considered, such a? natural fertility of land, road aceees to railway nnd other factors, there is now no land in Yew Zealand cheaper than that, of the King Country. Take tho average visitor from the South and show h.im the network of roads eprcarl through -this district by the Waitomo and Awakino County Councils, and let him see the extent and quality of the land, and he will invariahly express astonishment and admit that his previous e.onrepUon of the district was of a district of nigged, poor, unploughable country through which one might travel only by tracks which would be axle-deep with mud in winter. This may he adequately explained hy the fact that in 1910 the Waitomo County had about ono mile of metalled road, while in 1920 275 miles of roads had been metnlled. the total' expenditure being in thf vicinity of £300,000. ONLY FOUR HOURS FROM AUCKLAND. | With its rhief town situated on the Main Trunk only four and a quarter hours from Auckland, a stopping-place for all expresses and having; ite main street as a portion of the proposed arterial road from Auckland to Wellincton. the Kinp Country w-ftli its numerous exceptional natural ri<"hce, enviable climate and uninflated land prices is undoubtedly unusually attractive; and because there has been no noticeable boom and development is the result of natural conditions, no fears are entertained of a "buet" or a slump, such a* has been tV sequel in some caeee during the, recent abnormal years. i

TOWN TENURE

MOVEMENT FOR FRITEHOLiD.

As the progress of the iown continued it was generally fell that the leasehold tenure, was financially unsatisfactory, in so far as .business people wore concerned, since it was eaid to he. almost impossible to raise money on leasehold propertyTwo years ago a movement was made to induce the Government to bring in a bill to allow the lessees the right of purchase. This was successful, and t.be bill. drafted by a To Kuiti la-wyer, was duly passed. The Government is now offering the whole of the money at 5 per cent interest for the purchase of individual sections by tie, lessees, either by cash or on the- deferred payment system, within 20 years. The next step of obtaining the. f-ignatnres of nt least .tO per cent of the lessees as required by the Act was energetically undertaken and successfully completed, over 75 per cent of the total lessees' signatures being secured. Everything is now prepared and in the hands of the Commissioner of Crown Lands for valuation under the Government purchase system, so it is hoped that the free-hold for the town will soon bo an accomplished fact. From the point of view of the nativras the present system is unsatisfactory, since m many rases they are more for land tax I and -Maori Land Board administration fees than they receive from the lease of f-heir property "Phr Te.va,Tuation wi!l take place in about a, month's time, and if the purchase of the freehold ;s completed it will uivolvn a enm of from £80,000 to £100,000.